Lines Ballet from San Francisco yesterday showed us astonishing dance skills. After the first week of the Dance Conference we know rather more about dance art. .When we compare this company with the earlier performances shown at the XIV Conference, we can tell that with Lines Ballet it is easier to understand the action on stage.

The performance had two parts: Migration: The hierarchical migration of birds and mammals and The Moroccan Project. For Migration, on an empty stage, an atmosphere was created by three elements: music, light and the dancers. The artists were self-assured and made use of every centimeter of free space, giving the impression that STT’s stage was larger than usual. A central duet used distinctive movement with sensuous lifts; elsewhere we could see the ballet vocabulary more clearly, but with the women on demi-pointe.

In the second work - The Moroccan Project – dancers performed to the music from Ganwa ceremonies and songs of the Chaabi from Morocco. African rhythms were struck on the drums, and together with the women's singing the audience reaction was strong – making us want to stamp our feet and sway.

Gnawa has two meanings. One describes all residents of North Africa, the second tells about members of a mythical fraternity. The members of this fraternity are musicians and dancers. They believe that music and ceremony have the power to cure people. In the Moroccan Project, classical ballet steps were mixed with African moves, the dancers magnifying the natural energy in the music.

During the Conference I have learned not to always look for a plot in dance performance and that it is possible to admire the movement alone. This performance doesn’t tell a story. It was ritual dance, which had to capture the audience's attention. It charmed us with its subtlety, and everyone was absorbed by the hypnotic rhythms. I left the theatre in a great mood with much optimistic energy: I was revitalised by Lines Ballet.
Marta Ławrowska

Talking about ballet with ARTURO FERNANDEZ, ballet master of Alonzo King's Lines Ballet from the USA.Ad Spectatores: What is the difference between classical and modern ballet?

Arturo Fernandez: The difference is probably across the full range. Dead composers and choreographers created what we normally understand as classical ballet and today people just rehash it in their own light. Contemporary ballet is created by choreographers who live nowadays. This ballet deals with how we live now.

AdS: Where does Alonzo King get his inspirations from?

AF: I believe the sense of his inspiration comes from nature. Nature, which really tells us what truth is.

AdS: How long have you worked with Alonzo King and how did this cooperation develop?

AF: I have been working with Alonzo since 1992 and the company has been in existence since 1982.
When I was a dancer I would take his ballet classes everyday - we became very good friends and then, when I retired from dancing, he asked me to become his ballet master. There was always a mutual respect there.

AdS: Why did you choose these two performances to present to Polish audiences?

AF: To be honest, this was the easiest program to bring. We came to Poland in the middle of a longer tour: we were in Innsbruck for 8 days and France for 6 days. We came to Poland and from here we go for a week to Spoleto Festival in Italy. This was the easiest program, because it doesn't have any sets or big lighting. I mean it still has a lot of lighting characteristics, which we won’t be able to do here, but I think it will still be seen well here.

AdS: Have you been in Poland before, and what are your impressions?

AF: I have never been to Poland before – it's my first time. So far, so good: the weather is perfect.

AdS: And this festival in Bytom, what do you think about it?

AF: So far it’s been great. We’ve only been here for one day, so I can’t speak about whole the festival. We leave tomorrow so it’s a short stay. We will also visit Kraków and Lądek Zdrój.

I have seen the Moroccan Project in San Francisco. I felt this was one of Lines Ballet's more successful works. The dancers are always wonderful and I'm glad that Polish auditences were able to appreciate them. I find Alonzo King's choreography to be a bit monotonous after several viewings, but quite entracing the first few times you see it.

I am always interested in what audiences outside the San Francisco area think of King's company.

With around 4 companies per day, the free Bytom programmes tend to be brief, especially as everything is in Polish and English. So, Lisa, all the Lines dancers are not listed, except for Meredith Webster and Brett Conway for the pdd in "Migration" and, boy, did they deserve it. Their intense duet was the highspot of the Lines showing for me and many others. Interestingly, I suspect this was because it contained fewer ballet steps and more original material. Overall in this work, there were many fine moments and the 500-odd Bytom Festival students saw ensemble dancing at the highest standards. Wish I could say I liked the music more, but the bland pastiches of Arvo Part and others did little to add to my enjoyment. Time constraints, an ever-present minefield at Bytom meant that the piece was edited, ending on a surprising note, that made little dramatic sense.

While I could cope with the ballet steps in the context of the animals in "Migration", I struggled with the choreography for the women in "Moroccan Project". For the terrific, earthy Moroccan music, Alonzo King had the women in tiny, orange tutus, reaching upwards in attitudes, arabesques and pirouettes: rarely have I seen a greater mismatch between music and dance. The men looked good, executing similar steps, but without the high extensions, and dressed in more convincing simple brown wraps; an all male offering would have carried the daymore effectively in my view.

Everyone agreed with you, Lisa, that the dancers were terrific and worked together admirably. Overall, one of the US high spots at Bytom this year.

Just thought I would pop over. I am a big fan of Alonso's company and work, and thrilled to hear about this European tour! I found the question in the interview with Arturo particularly applicable ("from where does Alonso get his inspiration"). I don't know that I could define his movement style within the modern/contemporary genre, even if I tried. The company dancers have an incredible capacity for movement, are highly adaptable and very talented. It's not classical ballet but it is inspirational and intriguing. I last saw them perform in SF and ...had I been on the ball, I should have planned a brief foray into Poland to see them near me. I hope the company's success continues!

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